Denise Duncan

Denise Duncan began working for the City of New York in May 2009 for Kings County Hospital as an Assistant Coordinating Manager. During her 12 1/2-year tenure there, she worked fulltime and attended college part time after work. She received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a minor in Management from Brooklyn College in 2016.

One of Denise’s proudest achievements was enrolling in the Labor Studies master’s degree program at the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies (then called the Murphy Institute School of Professional Studies) by utilizing the benefit provided through CWA Local 1180s’ Education Fund. She received her master’s degree in Dec. 2018.

Shortly thereafter, Denise was promoted to a Coordinating Manager at H+H Kings County. At that time, she started to feel a sense of urgency to give back in some way to her union for all Local 1180 had afforded her in obtaining her degree.

She remembered attending several Brooklyn Borough Community Coordinating Committee Meetings and saw how committed and dedicated all the union staff were in ensuring that the members were aware of their union rights and benefits. She also felt empowered by all the information she gained at those meetings and realized she wanted a way to share that information with her coworkers.

“That is the reason I decided to become a Shop Steward at my agency in 2018,” she said. “During my Shop Steward days, I was mentored by many of the union staff and given the tools and resources I needed to assist our members with any questions, concerns, or issues in the workplace. I enjoyed participating in Kings County Joint Labor Management Meetings. I was able to take what I learned and share it with our members. I also was able to represent our members at counseling sessions and supervisory meetings. All these experiences helped mold me into the Staff Representative I am today. It has added value and purpose to my life.”

Denise is a huge advocate for fairness and equality in the workplace. When she is not working on behalf of the members she represents, Denise loves to read, watch documentaries, travel, cook, and stay active as much as possible.